An eyewitness told the Essex Chronicle: "I'm parked in a public car park in Lamourne End over looking all the fields and roads leading to the scene.

"All the roads are blocked and you can't get anywhere near it. There is a police helicopter about 50 feet over head above the scene and there is not much else to see.

"There's been reports that the plane hit a propane tank as it came down but looking at the field there are no propane tanks around."

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A spoksman for Essex Police said: "Police and other emergency services are at the scene of a light aircraft crash which has happened in a field off Gravel Lane in Chigwell.

"The light aircraft came down shortly before 10:20am this morning (Saturday, October 3). It is not yet known how many people were on board or numbr of casualties, or where the plane was flying to or from. We woud urge people not to attend the scene. Further updates will be given in due course".